Final Fantasy 8 and a Half: Paladin of Dread
by We-Have-A-Kraken-Alarm
Summary: Me's own Final Fantasy 8 Fan Fic semiold, so the quality may be soso, but as I write more, it will get better, I assure you. R & R!
1. Chapter 1

ANFTA:

Me: This is a story I posted a while ago under a different account… I don't think many people remember it, but oh well – here it goes!

--

A young woman stood at Timber Station waiting for the train that would take her to Balamb Garden. She looked in disgust at the people around her, all of them talking loudly. But this WAS Timber station, and that's just how the people were in Timber – always happy, never afraid of danger.

The girl wore a dark brown, silver studded cowboy hat, an ankle length leather jacket, a white muscle shirt, black cowboy boots and cow hide / black leather chaps over top of her faded blue jeans. Her long, wavy brown hair was pulled back into a ponytail.

Squall, seeing the girl, ran up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Irvine? Irvine Kinneas?" He asked, causing the woman to turn around almost instantly, and, just as fast, draw her shotgun.

"Irvine Kinneas just happens to be my father, sir. And if you don't leave me alone, I will put a piece of lead in you heart." The woman replied coldly.

"Sorry Trystan… you just look so much like your father." Squall muttered, taking off her hat, revealing Trystan Kinneas. Trystan bitterly took her hat back and shoved it on her head and placed her gun in its holster.

"Well no shit, Sherlock." Trystan replied solemnly.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!" Someone yelled, running up to Squall.

"Hey cherub. Where's your brother?"

"He was having some trouble finding his whip, so mom's helping him." The girl replied. Then looking at Squall, the girl continued, "And speaking of weapons, you still haven't given me mine!!"

"Ummnn… here. You can have my Gunblade…" Squall said, handing his most prized possession to the girl.

"Ahem…" Tryst coughed.

"OH! Chloė, this is Trystan Kinneas – Irvine's daughter. Trystan, this is Chloė – my only daughter and my youngest child." Squall explained, putting his hand on Chloë's shoulder. Trystan nodded understandingly.

"Irvine Kinneas… I've heard a lot about him. Is he really an awesome sniper? What's it like to have a famous father? How are your sharp-shooting skills? Hi. I'm Chloė. Pleased to meet you! May I call you Tryst?" Chloė asked all at once, extending her hand for Trystan to shake. Trystan merely nodded and roughly shook Chloë's hand.

"And…I… am… Sameth… Leonhart." Sam panted, running up besides his sister and standing doubled over.

"Charmed." Trystan replied, smiling vaguely.

"So! Trystan! What weapon do you use??" Chloė asked excitedly. "You already know that I use a Gunblade…" Trystan's hand immediately went to her gun holster. Relieved to find it still there, she replied;

"My fathers' shotgun. My mothers' nanchaku were always hard for me to master… Sam, you use a whip, no?"

"Yes. A Chained Whip, to be exact. Chloė, can I talk to you for a moment, please?" Sam mumbled hastily, steering Chloė aside. "Chloė, we should be really careful…"

"Why? Trystan seems nice enough…"

"What if her intentions turn evil? Haven't you heard of the Paladin of Dread?"

" You and your 'what if' s… What if every time you said that, a person died?? Just clam down – you're being paranoid is all. She appears to be stubborn – and I usually have a good judge of character." Chloė replied, turning around.

"But I know what you mean… I'll be careful, Sam. I will." Chloė replied after a brief pause. "I will."

**··········· ¤ ···········**

Trystan, Chloė and Sam were the last to board the train as it came rolling into the station.

"Let's head towards the back. There'll be less people there." Trystan whispered to Chloė, who whispered the message to Sam, who nodded. With Trystan leading the way, the trio was fast to find a deserted compartment away from all the perverted guys and sluttish girls that had tried to get them to share their compartments with them.

"Next time, I'm getting on the train first." Chloė declared, running right over to the window and throwing her bag down. "WINDOW SEAT IS MINE!!"

"You go right on and have it then." Trystan yawned, sitting down opposite Chloė. "Just wake me up before we get to Balamb, okay?" Chloė nodded and gazed dreamily out the window.

**¤**

"We should wake Tryst up now…" Sam said, nudging Chloė.

"Yeah… we should." Chloė muttered, standing up and swaying with the train. "Tryst, wake up." Chloė whispered gently.

"Hmm…?" Trystan yawned, sitting up as the compartment door was flung open.

"I am going to stay in here for the remaining ten minutes. No questions." The young man who barged into their compartment declared, slamming the door.

_-I've heard that voice before…_-Trystan thought groggily.

"You – Cowboy. Move so I can sit." He said.

"No."

"Tryst," Chloė whispered, "He's pretty hot. You should look." Trystan stood up and took off her hat, looking the person straight in the face. He wore a red trench coat with white crosses on the sleeves, his blonde hair all to vibrant in Trystan's memory.

"You!" Both Trystan and the man gasped at the same time.

"You know each other?" Chloė asked Trystan, who was looking at the man as if he were scum.

"Know him? I dated him! You no good son of a b—"

"Tryst – leave him alone. What did he do that was so horrible?" Sam, who had been quiet the whole time, intervened.

"You couldn't possibly imagine…" Trystan spat.

"Tryst – who is he?" Chloė asked innocently. Tryst looked at Chloė.

"His name is Kirojou Almasy." Trystan replied.


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry that this chapter's so short… I didn't have many ideas at the time…_

"I never knew that your parents could scrape up enough money to send you to Balamb, _Trystie_."

"Don't you dare call me that, _Kirrie_." Trystan shot back.

"Okay, okay. No pet names. I get it. " Kirojou mumbled.

"And my parents aren't poor." Trystan hissed; pulling back her right arm as if to punch Kirojou.

"DON'T YOU DARE PUNCH KIRO!!!!" Chloė yelled, throwing herself infront of Kirojou. Trystan let her hand drop to her side.

The rest of the trip was uneventful and quiet.

"**BALAMB GARDEN.**" The conductor announced. Trystan grabbed her shoulder bag and walked out of the compartment without a word.

"I'll go talk to her…" Sam offered, grabbing his whip and following Trystan.

"She's a big girl, Sam. She'll get over it." Chloė yawned. Sam shook his head and continued on his way.

"Tryst? Are you okay?" Sam asked, getting off the train immediately after Trystan.

"Just fine." Trystan replied bitterly, continuing to walk away.

"Trystan, wait!" Sam yelled. Trystan didn't hear him. She was lost in a memory from four painful years ago…

_Four years ago, Kirojou walked into Trystan's life. Two months after they met was Kirojous' birthday. And being so, Trystan gave Kirojou his red cloak with the white crosses on it. That was the day he asked her out. They dated for eight months, and, when everything appeared to be running smoothly, Trystan caught Kirojou cheating on her with her best friend, Noleen. _

_Heart broken and distraught, Trystan demanded that Kirojou not be allowed anywhere near her until she said. Numerous times had Kirojou attempted to get near Trystan, but she wouldn't allow it. _

Then came the day, three years later when Trystan found out that Noleen had been murdered and Kirojou openly told her that it was he who had murdered Noleen. Even more distraught than before, Trystan fled to a cave by her house. Her mother had found her there, and promised not to tell Kirojou where she had gone.

"He found me, mom… He found me…" Trystan had whispered to Selphie, Silent tears sliding down her cheeks. "Save me mom… save me, please… He'll... He'll kill me!! Ifrit, you've gotta protect me! You've gotta protect me…" Clutching her Moomba, Trystan began to sob into his fur.

"_Don't worry, Trystie. You're safe here for now. We won't let Kirojou get you. Your dad and I won't let him get you. I promise." Selphie had whispered._

"You kept your promise, mom. But Kirojou still found me…"Here, tears beginning to prickle the corners of Trystans' eyes. "He found me…" Trystan pitifully half-sobbed before passing out.

"TRYSTAN!!" Sam yelled, running up to Trystan and helping her stand up. "God… please be okay, Tryst… MEDICAL ASSISTANCE!!" Sam yelled when he saw blood gently trickling down her face from a cut above her left eye.

"HELP!" Sam frantically yelled again.


	3. Chapter 3

Trystan lay in the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. She had ten stitches above her left eye and was confined to bed for three days.

"Knock knock?" Sam whispered pushing the hospital door open. "How are you feeling, Tryst?"

"Oh just fine other than the throbbing pain above my left eye and the constant headache I currently have." Trystan replied, sitting up happily and motioning for Sam to sit down.

"Are you going right to class tomorrow?" Sam asked, looking at Trystan.

"No. Doctor says I have to stat here for three days to make sure that the cut doesn't swell or get infected." Trystan growled miserably. "Thank you, though," Trystan continued, "For getting me the medical attention that I needed. I really appreciate it."

"Oh… It… It was nothing. Honestly…" Sam laughed modestly. Trystan smiled.

"The doctor's due for a check up on me in about a minute. I'll convince her to let me go." Tryst said, resting against the pillow she had turned vertically and closing her eyes.

_-She looks so peaceful…-_ Sam thought, reaching for Trystan's hand as the door swung open again and quickly withdrawing it.

_-That's probably the doctor…-_ Trystan thought, opening her eyes. To her great disappointment, it wasn't the doctor. It was Chloė and Kirojou.

"Kirojou… go away. Now. Chloė, you're a fool, you know that?" Trystan mumbled, the corners of her eyes beginning to prickle again. "Kirojou, just go away and leave me alone."

"But Trystan, I came to say I'm sorry…"

"Sorry won't excuse what you did, Kirojou. Not in a million years."

"Please? Just… Just give me one more chance. Please Trystan??" Kirojou begged. Trystan shook her head.

"No."

"Trystan… Please…"

"She said no, Kirojou. Leave her alone." Sam said standing up. Though shorter than Kirojou, Sam was both mentally and physically stronger than Kirojou.

"Alright. I'm going. Good day Mister Leonhart. Miss Kinneas." Kirojou said with a mock bow and leaving the room as the doctor came in.

"All right. All right, everybody out now. Trystan, how are you feeling?" Miss Kinartiuana, the nurse, asked, shooing Sam, Chloė and Kirojou out.

"MY HEAD HURTS! WHAT MORE DO YOU PEOPLE WANT FROM ME??" Trystan yelled. Miss Kinartiuana smiled cheerfully.

"Oh don't get so upset! It'll be better soon!" She chirruped, skipping out the door as Sam walked in.

"SAMMY!! THE NURSE SCARES MEE!!" Trystan sobbed. Sam smiled and sat down beside her.

"When's the next time she comes in?"

"I dunno… tomorrow for sure… why?"

"Just wondering. Get some rest, okay?"

"But I'm not tired though!!"

"Just get some rest, Tryst."

"Alright, alright. I will."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Trystan yawned. Smiling, Sam put his hand on Trystan's head and said, "There's a good girl. See you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yep. Bubbai Sammy. See ya' tomorrow!" Trystan said lying back down.

­_-Now would be the time…-_ Sam though, seeing Trystan with her eyes closed. Sam gently kissed Trystan's forehead and sat back. Trystan smiled and opened her eyes.

"Good night, Trystan."

"Night Sammy…."

**¤**

For the next few days, whenever Sam and Trystan met in the corridors, Sam would make a point of accompanying Trystan to her classes. Though finding this a bit odd, Trystan didn't mind at all, and she found it rather funny, running behind things and worrying Sam half to death.

"Trystan, what if something happens and you get attacked by a lunatic when you run off?" Sam asked after finding her one day. Trystan just smiled and looked at him.

"Don't worry; I'm a big girl, Sammy. And I've got you to protect me, don't I?" She asked slyly. Their faces were about an inch apart.

_-Now! Now, Sam!!-_ A tiny voice seemed to be yelling in Sams' ear, so loud it was drowning everything else out.

"But what if I can't help you? Have you thought of that?" Sam asked seriously, pushing a strand of hair out of Trystan's face, ignoring the voice.

"No. Sorry, Sam. I hadn't." Ashamed, Trystan looked at her feet. Sam smiled and made Trystan look at him.

"It's okay, Trystan." Sam whispered. Suddenly, Trystan broke out into tears, threw her arms around Sam's neck and buried her face in the silk-like material of his navy colored cloak, sobbing uncontrollably now.

-_Uh oh…. Did I say something wrong…? Women… They're so hard to understand…-_ Sam thought.

"A-are you okay, Trystan?" Sam asked nervously. Trystan nodded and stood up, wiping her face and looking at Sam, smiling again.

"Yeah…. I just never thought about what would happen if… you… umm…" Here, Trystan had to stop because she was about to burst into tears again.

"Sorry…." Sam muttered. Trystan just nodded as Quistis came out of a classroom.

"Oh! I was looking for you! Here – come in here for a minute, Trystan. Sam." Quistis said hurriedly. Confused, Trystan and Sam did as they were told and entered Quistis' classroom, where Chloė, Kirojou, and three other SeeD members were gathered.

"Ok. I'm gone." Trystan said, seeing Kirojou and turning around. Sam just put his hand on her shoulder.

"Let's just see what she wants." He whispered in her ear.

"Alright – but I think I already know…." Trystan mumbled back. Sam sat in one of the desk chairs and Trystan sat on the desk top of Sams' desk.

"This is you group for assignment 134576…" Quistis started to say.

"What's quest 134576?" Trystan whispered to Sam.

"The Dark Paladin quest. Wonder why she's giving it to us…"

"…The leader is Sam and his assistant is Trystan. Briefing is tomorrow morning at dawn. Do not be late." Quistis warned, turning her back on the group and walking out of the room.

QueenAdreena: Thank you for your review!! I'll fix the title shortly… I don't actually have a name for it, Just some random writing I did when my internet was down. I'll think long and hard though, I promise.

Ages of My Characters:

Trystan: 17

Sameth: 18

Chloe: 17

Kirojou: 19

Sajuan (Dark Paladin): 19

All of square's Characters: Mid-Thirties.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, at five a.m., Trystan woke up, got dressed, and ran down the hall to Sam's room and hammered on the door.

"Sam, WAKE UP!" She said loudly, still pounding on his door. "We're going to be late for Quistis' briefing!"

Something about that must have worked, because minutes later, Sam appeared at the door, fully dressed.

"Get on my back." Sam said. It wasn't a suggestion. It was an order.

"Why?"

"It will be faster – trust me."

"Okay." Trystan did as she was told.

"Hold on."

"To what??"

"Your hat with one hand and around my neck with the other." Sam muttered. Sam held onto Trystan's legs and started to run as fast as he could to the briefing room. He could faintly hear Trystan yelling, "This is awesome!!" and he smiled. He had always loved hanging around girls and all, but that didn't even compare to the feeling he got when Trystan laughed or even smiled at him.

Sam came to a stop outside the briefing room and Trystan hopped off his back.

"That was awesome!" She said, still laughing. She hugged Sam and went into the room. Sam smiled, shook his head and followed suit.

Quistis entered the room five minutes later.

"I notice that Chloe, Kirojou and the other three are not here yet. They will still be on the quest, but they will receive two silver deludements each." Quistis said, taking ten fine crystal bracelets off her arm where many more – up to her shoulder, Trystan noticed – were stowed. "Trystan, as Sam's assistant, you will be in charge of handing the deludements out to those who fail to listen to the Leader. Take as many as it takes to cover your whole right or left arm. Go on now." Quistis said, opening one of her desk drawers revealing hundreds, if not thousands, of shining crystal deludements. Trystan quickly put sixty deludements on her right arm so that her left arm was still open for using a weapon.

"Trystan, I also want you to take a bullet proof vest. You never know if your gun or someone else's will back fire or if someone will turn on you." Quistis added. Sam grabbed the vest Quistis handed him to help Trystan with and Trystan reluctantly took off her over coat and t-shirt. Sam stared at her back for a couple minutes, not realizing what he saw.

On Trystan's back was a tattoo of a phoenix. The wings spread from her elbows to her shoulder blades on both arms and the top most feather on the phoenixes back to the tip of the tail reached from the bottom of her neck to below the top of her jeans.

"Trystan, I never knew…"

"That I had a tattoo?"

"Yeah…"

"I only got it a couple months ago. It's supposed to represent loyalty. Sam, I'm getting cold. Can we talk about this later?" Trystan mumbled. Sam helped her get the vest on, which Trystan did up herself and Sam handed her t-shirt to her.

"It's just… I never expected that from you. It just surprised me." Sam said. Trystan smiled.

"Everyone does stuff that the ones close to the person in question doesn't expect. Don't worry about it."

"I'll keep that in mind…"

Several minutes later, the other five came in. Without a word, Quistis gave the five their deludements.

"What's this for?" Kirojou asked loudly, glaring at Quistis. Quistis looked at Trystan, and nodded.

"You were late for the briefing." Trystan said slowly. "Therefore, You receive two deludements each. If you get five, you are suspended from one mission. If you receive ten, you are suspended from ten missions. If you receive more than ten, you are expelled from becoming a SeeD." Sameth and Quistis nodded. Trystan raised two fingers in a salute, let her arm drop to her side, then walked over to Sameth and stood beside him.

"Looks like Sameth has got a girlfriend." Kirojou sneered, looking from Trystan to Sameth and back again. Chloe laughed.

"Don't be so juvenile." Quistis warned. "That's exactly what SeeD doesn't need…" Trystan went to take a step toward Kirojou to punch him, but the deludements on her arm reminded her that she was not immune to them.

-_I have worked too hard to get where I am… I will not let Kirojou ruin my chance to become a SeeD…_- She thought bitterly as she sat on top of a Desk. Sameth looked at her, raising an eyebrow. Trystan saw this and just shook her head. She may tell him later… Or not…

"We set out in three hours." Sameth declared with a quick glance at Quistis, who nodded. "Get your things together as needed… buy your supplies, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. If you're not ready in three hours, too bad for you. You get left behind. We meet at the front gate. Anything you want to add, Trystan?"

"Nothing of importance to the fools we're traveling with." Trystan said bitterly, glaring at Kirojou menacingly. Kirojou shrank back into a corner. Chloe glared at Trystan.

"Don't be so mean." Chloe said hatefully to Trystan, who blinked.

"You know what, Chloe?" Sameth said slowly. "You should respect Trystan a bit more. You could say that she is the Lieutenant. Anyway… and she has the power to expel you from SeeD once we're on the road." Chloe looked at her brother with a blank stare.

"You mean I have to listen to what _SHE_ says?!" She gasped, looking at Trystan. Trystan frowned as she looked at Kirojou, who simply shrugged. Trystan then looked at Chloe as if she were going to kill her. Chloe cringed in fear.

"And that goes for all of you." Trystan said menacingly, glaring at everyone in turn, causing a shudder to pass through everyone. Only Quistis seemed unaffected. Sameth motioned for everyone to leave, which they did. Trystan was about to leave when Sameth called her back.

"Wait, Trystan."

"Yeah, Sammy?" She asked quietly, turning around, smiling a painful smile.

"What's wrong?" Sameth asked, placing a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manor. She smiled painfully again, in her head telling herself not to cry.

"It… it's nothing. My family's just being a bit hard on me for using a shot gun… my mom's worried that it'll back-fire on me…" Trystan mumbled, looking away from Sameth. "Let's just go, okay?"

Sameth looked at her. She was pale again, and she was trembling slightly. Had he seen a bruise on her arm before… by the wing of the phoenix on her back? He shook his head and led her to the front gate, where they waited for everyone else to gather.

"Sam… I have to talk to you…." Trystan mumbled, looking at the ground. Sam just looked at her.

"What's wrong?" Sameth asked worriedly, placing a hand on her shoulder. Trystan looked fretfully around to make sure no one was listening, and then she looked at Sam.

"It…it's Kirojou… He…" Suddenly, Trystan stopped talking and gasped as Kirojou approached them. Sam looked over his shoulder and say Kirojou.

"Speak of the devil, and he shall appear…" He mumbled just loud enough for Trystan to hear. Trystan tried to smile but couldn't. She was quiet for the rest of the day.


End file.
